Luger Shiva Keshavan has qualified for his sixth Winter Olympics after the 36-year-old earned the necessary 5 World Cup points in Innsbruck.
The World Cup in Austria is the first qualifying event for the 2018 PyeongChang Games.
On Sunday, reigning Asian Champion Shiva Keshavan finished 23rd in a field of 57 athletes with a time difference of 0.701 seconds from winner, Russia’s Stepan Fedorov, clocking 51.913 seconds to complete the 1300 meter slide. The sole Indian participant at the event, Shiva overcame the handicap of a 29th starting position with significantly deteriorating ice conditions to clinch the targeted 5 points.
“I am very happy that I have fulfilled the Olympic Criteria, I still have to participate in the next 5 Compulsory races but I am relieved that the pressure for getting the World Cup points is over and I can push myself to take more risks and get closer to the leader board,” Shiva said in a statement.
Shiva, also the President of the Olympians’ Association of India, is the first Indian to have qualified for PyeongChang 2018 in Luge while athletes in the sports of Alpine Skiing, Cross Country, and Speed Skating will have the chance to make the cut by January next year.